Happy 100th Birthday

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Thank You to Tony for this piece …
Betty Gordon
Betty Gordon raised a glass of bubbly to thank neighbours, friends and carers who had come to wish her a happy 100th birthday at her Abingdon home. They all observed strict social distancing outdoors and cheered as Betty, with obvious delight, cut the cake and showed her birthday card from the Queen.

Other cards came from friends far and wide. Neighbours had provided balloons and streamers, scones and cupcakes and a pile of presents including smoked salmon for breakfast and a T-shirt saying “Betty, the wee Scottie” with a picture of a Scottie dog.

Betty was born on 21 July 1920 in Caithness on the northern tip of Scotland. She remembers walking to primary school through snow that was knee-high. ‘That made me tough,‘ she said. She lived with her parents in Edinburgh after that but when her father died her mother went to London to find work. Betty stayed on at school until she was 16 then went to join her mother in London. She loved looking after children, and had a job with one family for seven years, stopping only when her own son was born.

Betty and her husband Charles moved to Abingdon from Kennington in 1978. They attended St Helen’s Church and did Scottish Country Dancing. They had a son who was tragically killed in a car accident at age 18. For 10 years Betty nursed Charles who had Alzheimer’s disease, pushing him to church in his wheelchair until he died in 1997. Betty then moved to St Nicolas Church which was closer to her home. She helped as sacristan from 2006 to 2012. In 2015 she suffered several strokes and could no longer go to church.

Coffee and counting at Abingdon Market Place with John Betjeman

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Abingdon Market Place this Morning
Today I had my first coffee and croissant on Abingdon Market Place since the start of the lockdown. When I sat down, the outside seats at R&R, Costa, and Throwing Buns were in sun; and the seats at Java were in shade.
Abingdon Market Place this Morning
I noticed the usual queue outside the National Westminster Bank – a very popular bank. Pablos Lounge have reopened this week.
Abingdon Market Place this Morning
I started a survey of face masks to see what was the most popular colour: 3 blue, 1 pink, 1 black and counting … then noticed a man with a Black Sabbath T Shirt taking a selfie in front Abingdon County Hall Museum.
Abingdon Market Place this Morning
The doors of the museum appeared to be open but, looking later, I discovered that was only the outer doors. In the interim, the museum are publishing some lovely pictures of exhibits on Abingdon Museum on Instagram.

I flicked through a book, purchased at the British Heart Foundation, and edited by John Betjeman and John Piper, called ‘Murray’s Berkshire Architectural Guide‘

At one point it says, ‘Despite the fact that the huge industrial city of Oxford is only six miles away, Abingdon remains resolutely Berkshire. Not even the presence of the MG motor works and a large, noisy aerodrome kills the essentially market and country quality of this meadow-set, river-bordered, old brick town.’

River Ock Walk – this evening

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River Ock Walk
This evening I went for a walk along the Ock Valley Walk. Most people were either out with their dogs, or running or cycling.
River Ock Walk
Somebody had discarded today’s Oxford Mail. The front page was about the fallout, on Cancer research jobs in Oxford, from the virus.
River Ock Walk
A mother duck, with four ducklings, got very agitated and noisy towards a ginger cat – who was attempting to follow them from the bank near the Meadowside houses.
River Ock Walk
The walk is between two rivers. Trees arch high over you on the end furthest from town. At the town end there are younger trees and the path divides in two. A trail, with wood chip laid by the Green Gym, follows the top river. The main path follows the lower river.

Abingdon Cinema and Theatre – not reopened yet

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Cinema and Theatre
During the lockdown, the Abbey Cinema have been encouraging people to become members and get special deals as well as ensuring a steady cash flow and the survival of the cinema. Their first event will be the Formula 1 race from Silverstone, and is a members only event.
Cinema and Theatre
The Unicorn Theater has no What’s On yet. They have a holding webpage saying ‘New Site Coming Soon’.
Cinema and Theatre
The Studio Theatre Club announced they have started a read through of Love’s Labour’s Lost, to be performed at the Unicorn Theatre in November, if all’s well that ends well.

The Amey Theatre booking office still only has cancelled events at the moment.

Some leisure and fitness centres have reopened this week in Abingdon. I can see people back on the gym machines at Results and the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre have: gym, swimming (not splash pool), fitness classes, indoor and outdoor tennis only. The open air pool will not open this season.

Regarding churches, I hear that St Edmunds and Our Lady have a booking system for Masses and up to 30 people can attend. I have not heard about any other church meeting physically yet. The congregation size will be limited to 30 in most churches, and so streaming or service sheets will continue for those who cannot attend.